Tuesday picks to click

Y'all realize it's just nine days until SEC football kicks off, starting with the Thursday night games between N.C. State and South Carolina, plus Vanderbilt at Miami (Ohio)?

It's amazing how a new perspective can change your enthusiasm for the season. In previous years as a beat writer -- covering practice daily and writing 2-3 stories per day -- you're pretty much fried by this point.

It probably also helps that my new role as SEC writer/columnist for The Huntsville Times has me keeping an eye on the league as a whole rather than one team.

Anyway, enough rambling and on to some reading material to distract your work day.

Mississippi State offensive coordinator Woody McCorvey is out for about a week after undergoing surgery Monday for an undisclosed reason.

Meanwhile at Ole Miss, the Rebels' defensive line has been decimated by injuries to All-SEC end Greg Hardy and tackle Peria Jerry. Hardy is expected to be out until midseason with a stress fracture in his foot while Jerry has orthoscopic knee surgery on Monday.